A massive inflatable ‘moon balloon’ caused havoc after breaking loose on the streets of Fuzhou in China during super typhoon Meranti, rolling over cars and people in its path.

The massive storm made landfall in east China's Fujian Province in the early hours of Thursday morning with gales of up to 173kph (107mph).

The high winds freed a massive ‘moon balloon’ which got loose in Fuzhou and barrelled around the city, causing havoc for motorists and pedestrians.

The balloon was part of festivities for the city’s annual mid-autumn festival which gets underway Thursday.

Meanwhile, three hours south, in Xiamen city, windows were shattered in tall buildings and the city suffered a mass power outage as the typhoon struck.

The Chinese state broadcaster said it was the strongest typhoon to hit that part of the country since local meteorological records began in 1949 and the strongest so far this year anywhere in the world.